UN Climate Summit Ends With A New Pledge To Combat Climate Change

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The Glasgow Climate Pact was signed by nearly 200 countries (Credit: UN.org)

On November 13, 2021, diplomats from nearly 200 countries vowed to step up their efforts to slow global warming. The Glasgow Climate Pact, signed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, was not as far-reaching as many had hoped. However, there was a clear consensus about the urgency to take action to prevent a catastrophic rise in global temperatures.

The agreement’s highlights include a pledge to reduce global methane emissions by 30 percent in the next ten years. More than 100 world leaders— from countries representing over 90 percent of the world’s forests — also agreed to cease and reverse deforestation by 2030.

Many countries, including the US and China, pledged to get to net-zero emissions in the next few decades (Credit: Climateactiontracker.org)

For the first time at a COP conference, 40 countries made an explicit promise to cut down the use of coal. However, environmentalists were disappointed by India and China’s demand that the agreement call for “phasing down,” rather than “phasing out,” its use. The fossil fuel is responsible for 40 percent of the world's annual carbon dioxide emissions.

The US and the European Union promised to reach net-zero emissions — which means achieving a balance so no greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere — by 2050. China and India vowed to do the same by 2060 and 2070, respectively. The Glasgow Climate Pact also requires countries to announce more substantial pledges and outline concrete plans on how to achieve the goals at the climate change conference in Egypt in 2022.

The Climate Action Tracker's global warming estimates for the next few decades (Credit: climatechangetracker.org)

Experts at the Climate Action Tracker estimate that if all countries keep their pledges under the new agreement, we could possibly limit global warming to 1.8 degrees Celsius by 2100. Though higher than the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit scientists are advocating, it is better than the 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming the planet is currently heading towards.

“Countries still don’t seem to understand that we’re in an emergency situation and we need to cut emissions much faster this decade, or else any hope of staying at 1.5 degrees will be lost,” said Niklas Höhne, a German climatologist and founding partner of NewClimate Institute, which created the Climate Action Tracker.

Resources: Washingtonpost.com, NPR.com, news.un.org,

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113 Comments
  • gemini2030
    gemini2030almost 3 years
    I learned this in class, everyone, let's do our part! We can help save earth!
    • nshdiejdjcjalci
      nshdiejdjcjalcialmost 3 years
      Climate change is natura so why do we all freak out that the world of going to explode and we are all going to die. Just let is do it thing.
      • rendragon
        rendragonalmost 3 years
        What they said. Climate change is our fault and we need to do something. It's probably too late to bring the world back to the way it was before we messed it up but we can still stop making it worse. So what if humans have a limited lifespan. There are always more being born. We are messing up the world for the next generation.
        • creampuffcookie
          creampuffcookiealmost 3 years
          climate change is not natural. It is caused by humans. It is making ice melt which causes water to rise. it is making the Earth hotter and some plants and animals are having a hard surviving in the new climate. Humans should be ashamed for all the damage they have caused
          • ram6411
            ram6411almost 3 years
            no it wont dont listen to them
            • idras
              idrasalmost 3 years
              Climate change is not a natural occurrence its a thing that humans created dumping out Co2 (Carbon dioxide) which can cause higher temperatures the green house gas effect, more severe storms mainly hurricanes. And if we don't do something by 2050 the sky probably won't be blue and 55% of species will go extinct by 2050 to 2100 so we definitely need to something about it asap
            • lovedoglife
              lovedoglifealmost 3 years
              Climate change is a very important subject.😐
              • nust1733
                nust1733almost 3 years
                Companies on saying, “uhhhh we r gonna stop all carbon emissions by 2030 uhhh. THATS TO LATE, WE HAVE TO DO THIS NOW!! #Save the world
                • personondogonws
                  personondogonwsalmost 3 years
                  If we don’t change in 10 years at least, the world as we know it may end. The changes of climate change and becoming relevant.
                  • da_frog
                    da_frogalmost 3 years
                    oh em gee we NEED to stop this! everyone, you can do your part!
                    • vote
                      votealmost 3 years
                      by 2050 it will be to late we need 0 emissions by 2030 and take CO2 out of the atmosphere so that our total annual emissions are in the same negatives as our current emissions are in the positive. Also we do not have the power to wipe off life with climate change, though many species will be seriously impacted. the species most affected will be... Homo-sapiens, man, humans we need to stop this! not for animals, but for us Thumbs up if you agree. CLIMATE JUSTICE NOW 0 EMISSIONS BY 2025! Those politions are talking 2050, thats too late!
                      • snowflake2001
                        snowflake2001almost 3 years
                        #Save the world
                        • lovedoglife
                          lovedoglifealmost 3 years
                          Yeah, save the world before it dies! (I am going to follow you snowflake2001)
                        • dogloverpixie
                          dogloverpixiealmost 3 years
                          It's nice to see that we are doing something about this problem but we are still using plastics, cars and energy every day
                          • bored_stari
                            bored_starialmost 3 years
                            People need to open their eyes and start looking at the real problems in the world, like global warming, pollution, covid, etc etc.